The term circular connector applies to any electrical connector possessing multi-pin interconnects with a cylindrical contact housings and circular contact interface geometries. Circular connectors are selected for ease of engagement and disengagement, their ability to conveniently house different types of contacts, their wide range of allowable contact voltages and currents, their ease of environmental sealing and their rugged mechanical performance.
Many connectors, including micro-miniature plastic circular connectors, are known to rely on contact mating forces to hold together a mated connector pair, or connector assembly, comprising a plug and a receptacle.
It is known to employ a threaded coupling arrangement to secure two metal circular connector halves. For example, the use of a threaded coupling nut on the plug, and a corresponding set of threads on the receptacle, to mate the pair of components. The coupling nut is usually equipped with flats or knurling for easy assembly. Threaded coupling is not practical for small diameter plastic circular connectors. Factors include: (i) relatively high cost: (ii) low torque resistance of small plastic components; and/or (iii) threaded assembly of small components.
It is known to use a retaining spring pair to supplement the plastic circular connector assembly's resistance to axial separation. In practice, each halve of the retaining spring pair is assembled to a corresponding half of the circular connector pair such that, when the two halves of the connector pair are mated, the retaining spring pair mates together to supplement the retention of the connector assembly.
The thin metal spring clips of the prior art retaining spring pairs protrude from the connector halves in such a way that they are subject to being damaged and/or catching onto other cables before and after assembly of the connector halves.